Food thermometer and method of using thereof

ABSTRACT

Temperature data is wirelessly received from a food thermometer inserted into food. A remaining time for cooking the food is estimated based at least in part on the received temperature data. The progression of a recipe to at least two new stages is indicated on a user interface based on the received temperature data. According to one aspect, the food thermometer includes a thermal sensor configured to measure an internal temperature of the food or an ambient temperature adjacent the food. It is determined that the indicated temperature measured by the thermal sensor increased by at least a threshold value from a previously indicated temperature wirelessly received from the food thermometer, and the progression of the recipe is indicated on the user interface to a new cooking stage.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.16/037,832 (Atty. Docket No. APL-00100-DIV), filed on Jul. 17, 2018,which is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No.15/192,850 (Atty. Docket No. APL-00100), filed on Jun. 24, 2016, nowU.S. Pat. No. 10,024,736, which claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/184,775 (Atty Docket No. 68643-00150), filed on Jun.25, 2015, and entitled “SMART MEAT THERMOMETER AND METHOD OF USINGTHEREOF”. Each of U.S. application Ser. Nos. 16/037,832 and 15/192,850,and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/184,775 is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to food thermometers and methods of usingthereof. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a foodthermometer that wirelessly transmits data.

BACKGROUND

Food thermometers such as meat thermometers have been used to helpprovide more consistent cooking results. The use of a meat thermometer,for example, can provide a visual indication on whether the meat isstill undercooked or if the meat is in danger of being overcooked.However, these conventional types of food thermometers provide a passiveindication of temperature and generally rely on the cook to remember tocheck the temperature.

More recently wireless food thermometers have been introduced to providea more convenient display of the temperature. However, such wirelessfood thermometers generally provide only a passive display of thetemperature and may not provide sufficiently accurate information duringcooking, such as a completion time, when to adjust a temperature, whento start or finish a particular cooking stage such as searing, or howlong to let the food rest after removing it from heat. In addition, suchwireless food thermometers have a limited range for transmittinginformation, especially in light of the challenges to conserve space,provide a waterproof enclosure, and withstand high temperatures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosurewill become more apparent from the detailed description set forth belowwhen taken in conjunction with the drawings. The drawings and theassociated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of thedisclosure and not to limit the scope of what is claimed.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a food thermometer accordingto an embodiment.

FIG. 2A shows the food thermometer of FIG. 1 being inserted in thedirection denoted by the arrow into food according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2B shows the food thermometer of FIG. 2A after insertion into thefood.

FIG. 3A shows wireless communications between the food thermometer and aportable electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3B is a system diagram showing wireless connections between thefood thermometer of FIG. 3A and multiple portable electronic devices.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for a completion time estimation process accordingto an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for a resting temperature rise estimation processaccording to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of a food thermometer according to anembodiment.

FIG. 7 is a view of the food thermometer of FIG. 6 showing internalcomponents according to an embodiment.

FIG. 8 illustrates various components of a food thermometer according toan embodiment.

FIG. 9A shows a charging apparatus for charging a battery of a foodthermometer according to an embodiment.

FIG. 9B shows the thermometer of FIG. 9A removed from the chargingapparatus.

FIG. 10A shows an exterior view of a food thermometer according to anembodiment.

FIG. 10B shows internal components of the food thermometer of FIG. 10Aaccording to an embodiment.

FIG. 10C thither shows internal components of the food thermometer ofFIG. 10B.

FIG. 10D is an internal side view of internal components of the foodthermometer of FIG. 10B.

FIG. 11A shows a food thermometer including an ambient thermal sensoraccording to an embodiment.

FIG. 11B shows a food thermometer including an ambient thermal sensor ina different location than in the food thermometer of FIG. 11A accordingto an embodiment.

FIG. 11C shows a food thermometer including an ambient thermal sensorthat is also used as an antenna according to an embodiment.

FIG. 11D, shows a food thermometer including a charging contactaccording to an embodiment.

FIG. 11E shows a food thermometer including an inner shell according toan embodiment.

FIG. 12 shows an electronic device including a user interface and a foodthermometer including a plurality of thermal sensors and a flip sensoraccording to an embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart for a recipe progression process according to anembodiment.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart for a recipe progression process for use with afood thermometer including a plurality of thermal sensors according toan embodiment.

FIG. 15A is a first part of a flowchart for a recipe progression processthat includes a resting stage, a searing stage, and one or more stagesrequiring the opening or closing of a cooking vessel according to anembodiment.

FIG. 15B is the second part of the flowchart of FIG. 15A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth to provide a full understanding of the present disclosure. It willbe apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art that thevarious embodiments disclosed may be practiced without some of thesespecific details. In other instances, well-known structures andtechniques have not been shown in detail to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring the various embodiments.

This disclosure is directed to a smart food thermometer that can bepositioned inside a heat chamber (e.g., grill, oven, etc.) or on a heatsource.

One of the features is positioning electronic components that aresensitive to heat in a portion of the food thermometer that is insertedinto the meat. The meat protects the sensitive electronic componentsfrom heat. The entire food thermometer can be positioned in the heatchamber, which advantageously eliminates the need for a wired connectionto a device located on the exterior. The food thermometer includes awireless thermal sensor and an antenna. The antenna communicates thesensed temperature data to a portable electronic device.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a food thermometer 100according to an embodiment. The thermometer 100 includes a first portion106 having electronic components that are sensitive to heat. As shown inFIG. 1, the first portion is configured to be positioned in the food108. A second portion 104 is connected to the first portion 106. In someimplementations, the first portion 106 can include all of or part of athermal sensor for detecting the temperature of the food 108. In otherimplementations, the thermal sensor for detecting the temperature of thefood 108 can be located entirely or partially in a part of the secondportion 104 that is inserted into the food 108.

A third portion 102 is connected to the second portion 104 and includesan antenna for wirelessly transmitting data based on the detectedtemperature of the food 108. In addition, some implementations may alsoinclude an ambient thermal sensor in the third portion 102 to detect anambient temperature in the cooking vessel (e.g., oven or BBQ) that isclose to the exterior surface of the food 108. In some examples, thefood 108 is meat, but one of ordinary skill will appreciate that thethermometer 100 can be used with other types of food.

FIG. 2A shows the food thermometer 100 being inserted in the directiondenoted by the arrow into the food 108. FIG. 2B shows the foodthermometer 100 after insertion into the food 108. As shown in FIG. 2B,the third portion 102 remains outside of the food 108, but most of thesecond portion 104, and all of the first portion 106, are inside thefood 108. In some implementations, the first portion 106 and the secondportion 104 may not be separated from each other so that the firstportion 106 and the second portion 104 correspond to portions of acontinuous outer shell.

The lengths of the first portion 106 and the middle portion 104 can bechosen so that the thermally sensitive electronics are fully insertedinto a wide variety of types of food. In one example, the first portion106 and the second portion 104 each take up about half the length of thethermometer 100 before reaching the third portion 102. The relativelengths of the first portion 106 and the second portion 104 can vary inother implementations to accommodate different food thicknesses or foodtypes. In one example, the second portion 104 is arranged so that athermal sensor in the second portion 104 is positioned to measuretemperature across an area inside the food 108. In other examples, athermal sensor for measuring a food temperature can be located in thefirst portion 106. In addition, the cross section of the thermometer 100can be chosen to have a relatively small cross sectional area so as notto significantly disrupt the composure of the food 108.

As discussed in more detail below, including the thermally sensitiveelectronics in the first portion 106 ordinarily allows for protection ofthe thermally sensitive electronics by using the food 108 to insulatethe thermally sensitive electronics from the full heat of the cookingvessel. Other less thermally sensitive electronics may be included inthe second portion 104 or the first portion 106.

For example, the thermally sensitive electronics can include asolid-state battery such as a thin film lithium battery or other batterytype that may begin to degrade in performance at temperatures greaterthan a temperature of food being cooked (e.g., over 100° C. for meat).The ambient temperature inside a cooking vessel, such as an oven or aBBQ, can often reach temperatures in excess of 230° C. However, evenwhen the ambient temperature inside the cooking vessel is 230° C., thetemperature inside of a food such as a steak may only reach 77° C. for awell-done steak due to the thermal mass of the food.

In this regard, the thermally sensitive electronics in the first portion106 may include a thermal sensor for detecting the temperature of thefood 108. As discussed in more detail below, the third portion 102 or anend of the second portion 104 opposite the first portion 106 can includean ambient thermal sensor that can withstand or better detect highertemperatures than the thermal sensor used to detect the temperature ofthe food 108. The thermal sensor used to detect the temperature of thefood 108 in the first portion 106 and/or the second portion 104 can be adifferent type of sensor than the ambient thermal sensor used to detectthe ambient temperature near the food 108. In another implementation,the ambient thermal sensor may include an infrared sensor located in thefirst portion 106 or the second portion 104 that receives infrared lightradiated from a component in the third portion 102, such as the antennaor the handle, to indirectly measure an ambient temperature. A lightguide may also be used to direct the infrared light from the thirdportion 102 to the infrared sensor.

The location of the third portion 102 allows for the antenna to beunaffected by attenuation or interference that may be caused by the food108. In implementations where the third portion 102 includes an ambientthermal sensor, locating the ambient thermal sensor in the third portion102 ordinarily allows for the detection of the ambient temperatureinside the cooking vessel that is adjacent the exterior surface of thefood 108. Although conventional ovens and BBQs typically provide anindication of a temperature inside the cooking vessel, the actualtemperature near the food 108 can differ from the temperature at otherlocations in the cooking vessel. As discussed in more detail below,detecting the ambient temperature near an exterior surface of the food108 (e.g., within two or three inches) can provide an improvedtemperature measurement. This improved temperature measurement near theexterior surface of the food 108 can be used to determine a thermal massof the food 108, a more accurate completion time, a more accurateresting temperature rise, and/or better instructions for cooking thefood 108 to achieve a desired result.

FIG. 3A shows wireless communications between the thermometer 100 and aportable electronic device 110. A unique advantage of the presentinvention is that the food 108 and thermometer 100 can be positionedinside a heating vessel (such as an oven), and the thermometer 100 canwirelessly communicate with a portable electronic device 110, withoutany wired connections and without any additional hardware that serves asa connection bridge between the thermometer 100 and the portableelectronic device 110.

“Portable electronic device” as used herein refers to an electronicdevice having at least a processor, a memory, a display, and an antennafor enabling wireless communication. In one embodiment, the portableelectronic device is a smartphone (such as an iPhone®) or a tabletcomputer (such as an iPad®). In other embodiments, the portableelectronic device may be a smart watch or other types of smart deviceswith a processor and an antenna for communicating directly or indirectlywith the thermometer.

FIG. 3B is a system diagram showing wireless connections between thethermometer 100 and portable electronic devices 110 (e.g., 110 a and 110b). In one implementation, there may be a direct connection to a smartportable electronic device 110 a (e.g., a tablet, smartphone, laptop,etc.) using for example, a short range point to point communicationprotocol, such as a Bluetooth connection. If only short rangecommunication is utilized, then other users may be out of the wirelessrange, or have limited access when the user of the electronic device 110a is connected with the thermometer 100. In some implementations, theportable electronic device 110 a can be used as a connection bridge toconnect to more remote clients/smart portable electronic devices 110 bvia a wireless network 111 (e.g., a Wi-Fi connection).

Utilizing the smart portable electronic device 110 a as a bridge isparticularly advantageous in this application in which the thermometer100 is positioned in a cooking vessel such as a BBQ or oven in partbecause such cooking vessels can reduce wireless network range. Thesmart portable electronic device 110 a shares information received fromthe thermometer 100 with other smart devices (e.g. 110 b) via thewireless network 111 (e.g., an Internet Protocol network such as Wi-Fi),thereby allowing other users/devices at a greater distance to monitorthe cooking process. The connection between the thermometer 100 and thewireless network 111 is shown as dashed to indicate that there is avirtual connection between them. In such an implementation, the actualconnection is between the thermometer 100 and the bridge device (e.g.,smart portable electronic device 110 a) via interface 119, and alsobetween the bridge device and wireless network 111 via interface 117.For example, the bridging technology may be based on Bluetooth 4.0 orBluetooth 4.2, which allows Internet Protocol connectivity (e.g., IPv6)via Bluetooth 4.2 capable bridge devices to the local area network andthe interact. The foregoing described connectivity is provided as anexample. The bridge technology can enable other types of wirelessconnections based on design concerns and parameters.

Although in FIG. 3B, the bridge device is shown as a smart portableelectronic device 110, the bridge device can alternatively be a physicalbridge device such as the charging apparatus 700 discussed below withrespect to FIGS. 9A and 9B. In such an implementation, the chargingapparatus 700 can serve a dual purpose as a wireless connection bridgebetween the thermometer 100 and the wireless network 111 (similar to thebridge connectivity set forth above as to the smart portable electronicdevice 110 a), and as a charging device when the user seeks to chargethe thermometer 100.

It can be appreciated that the wireless network 111 may be a local areanetwork and/or a wide area network such as the internet. In oneimplementation, the system utilizes a connection to the internet and acloud-based service. The information transmitted by the thermometer 100can optionally be shared via cloud service 113 instead of a more directconnection between two or more smart devices.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the electronic device 110 a includes a processor114 configured to execute application 10 for processing data provided bythe thermometer 100 and presenting information to the user based on theprocessed data. Application 10 can include computer-executableinstructions stored in a memory 115 of the electronic device 110 a andaccessed as needed by processor 114. Thermometer 100 sends data such astemperature measurements to an interface 119 of the electronic device110 a. The processor 114 processes the received data in accordance withexecution of the application 10, and provides information using a userinterface of the application 10 on one or more output devices (e.g.,display and/or speaker) of the electronic device 110 a. The processor114 may also optionally send the processed data or data generated byexecuting the application 10 to the wireless network 111 via aninterface 117.

The user interface of the electronic device 110 a can, for example,display a current temperature of the food, a completion time prediction,or recommendations on how to cook the food 108 to achieve a resultspecified by the user such as a final doneness of the food 108 (e.g.,medium or well-done). The cooking instructions can include, for example,adjustments to temperature, when to flip a piece of meat, when to searthe food, when to remove the food from heat, or how long to let the foodrest after removing it from heat. Devices known in the art have not beenable to accurately predict completion times, predict a restingtemperature rise after removing the food from the cooking vessel, orprovide accurate instructions on when to adjust the cooking temperatureor perform another cooking action.

As noted above, more accurate predictions on completion time and restingtemperature rise can ordinarily be made by utilizing dual-sensortechnology. Using an ambient or external thermal sensor in or near thethird portion 102 can enhance estimation of heat input at the locationof the food 108, which can vary when the food 108 is moved, turned, orwhen changes in cooking environment occur, such as opening the hood of aBBQ, adjusting heat on a gas grill, or charcoal fuel losing heat. Theheat input at the location of the food 108 can be estimated moreaccurately using an ambient or external thermal sensor adjacent anexterior surface of the food 108 and measuring the ambient temperatureover a period of time.

In addition, the processor 114 can use application 10 to generate a heatresponse of the food 108 using a detected internal temperature in thesecond portion 104 over a period of time. The processor 114 can also useapplication 10 to determine a thermal mass of the food 108 using themeasured internal temperature and the measured ambient temperature overtime. In other implementations, the heat response and/or the thermalmass of the food 108 can be determined by the cloud service 113, theremote electronic device 110 b, electronics of the thermometer 100, orcombinations thereof.

In addition, the location of the ambient thermal sensor near theexterior surface of the food 108 ordinarily allows for an accuratedetermination of a thermal mass for the food 108. The thermal mass orheat capacity of the food 108 represents the ability of the food 108 tostore heat and can affect how quickly the food 108 heats up or coolsoff. By using actual measurements (i.e., the internal temperature andthe external temperature of the food 108), as opposed to a previouslystored value for a given food, variations in composition from a typicalcomposition (e.g., higher fat content, lower density) are accounted forin the thermal mass determined from the temperature measurements. Asdiscussed in more detail below, a thermal mass determined from empiricaldata for the actual food being cooked ordinarily provides a moreaccurate determination of useful information such as a completion time,a resting temperature rise, or specific instructions on cooking the food108, such as temperature adjustments during the cooking process.

Unlike conventional methods for estimating a completion time based onlyon an internal temperature or an external temperature, processor 114executing application 10 can more accurately estimate a completion timebased on a thermal mass of the food 108 by using the current internaltemperature of the food 108, the ambient temperature adjacent the food108, and time data. In other implementations, the estimation of acompletion time can be performed by the cloud service 113, the remoteelectronic device 110 b, electronics of the thermometer 100, orcombinations thereof. Completion time estimates can be further refinedby user input indicating, for example, a type of food being cooked, aweight of the food, or the type of preparation desired. In someimplementations, the user input can be used to provide an initialestimate of the thermal mass and the completion time, which can beadjusted based on data received from thermometer 100 as the food 108 isbeing cooked.

The application 10 according to some implementations can advantageouslyestimate a resting temperature rise that can be accounted for in thecompletion time estimate or in cooking instructions provided to theuser. Conventional cooking devices have not been able to account for aresting temperature rise of food in the cooking process. This can be duein part to a failure to accurately determine or consider a thermal massof the food that is actually being cooked, rather than using a presetvalue for a certain food type.

Resting is the process during which the food is removed from the heatsource and allowed to “rest” under normal ambient temperatures such asroom temperature. During this resting period, the food temperaturestabilizes and distributes more evenly within the food due to heatflowing from the warmer exterior of the food to its cooler interior. Theresting temperature rise can be, for example, several degrees and canmake the difference between a medium-rare or medium doneness in a steak.For most meats, the resting period also helps fluids redistribute moreevenly within the meat. Resting temperature rise is a dynamic parameterthat can depend upon several factors such as the thickness of the food,the thermal mass of the food, and the cooking temperature towards theend of the cooking cycle. Usually, the cooking temperature from thestart of cooking has already had time to equalize, but the cookingtemperature near the end of the cooking cycle will usually have more ofan effect on the resting temperature rise.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for an example completion time estimate processthat can be partly or wholly performed by the processor 114 of aportable electronic device, a charging device in wireless communicationwith the food thermometer, or by the food thermometer itself. To enhanceaccurate prediction, the process of FIG. 4 considers both an ambienttemperature and the temperature of the food. In some implementations,the process of FIG. 4 may also estimate a resting temperature or restingtemperature rise to allow cooking to end at a lower temperature. Thisadvantageously allows the resting temperature to rise to finish thecooking process throughout the food to a target temperature, inaddition, the estimated resting temperature or resting temperature risecan take into account the thermal mass of the food in substantially realtime.

The current heat being applied is determined by current or recentmeasurements of an ambient thermal sensor in the thermometer. In oneimplementation, only or primarily recently applied heat is taken intoaccount as it has not yet progressed to internal parts of the meat. Inthis regard, the time parameters for the estimation can depend on thethermal mass of the food 108 being cooked. For example, the last threeto five minutes of ambient heat can be averaged and used as input heatfor a resting temperature rise prediction. The resting temperature riseprediction and/or an adjusted target temperature can be displayed to theuser of the portable electronic device 110 a to allow the user to endcooking.

As shown in FIG. 4, an indication of an ambient temperature near thefood is received in block 402. The indication of the ambient temperaturecan be received by a remote device via a wireless signal transmittedfrom the thermometer. In another implementation, a processor in theelectronics of the thermometer may receive the indication of the ambienttemperature from an ambient sensor of the thermometer. The location ofthe ambient temperature measurement can be near to an exterior of thefood, such as within three inches of the exterior of the food to providea more accurate indication of the heating of the food.

In block 404, an indication is received of the food temperature at aninterior portion of the food. With reference to the example ofthermometer 100 discussed above, this indication can come from one ormore thermal sensors located in the first portion 106 and/or the secondportion 104. As with the indication of the ambient temperature, theindication of the food temperature may be received by a processor of thethermometer or by a remote device.

In block 406, the rate at which the indication of the food temperaturechanges is determined. In one implementation, this can includedetermining a temperature rise value based on an indication of theambient temperature received in block 402. For example, an ambienttemperature range can be used to select the temperature rise value, X.This can ordinarily allow for the ambient temperatures near the food 108to be accounted for in determining the temperature rise value X.

In one implementation, the temperature rise value X is selected fromdifferent temperature rise values corresponding to different ambienttemperature ranges and/or types of food. In such an example, a table oftemperature rise values can be stored in memory 115 of device 110 foraccess by the processor 114. A user of the portable electronic device110 a, for example, may select a food type for the food from a pluralityof food types (e.g., ribeye steak, sirloin steak, chicken), with thedifferent food types being associated with different temperature risevalues for the same ambient temperature value or range of ambienttemperature values. The selection of a food type can ordinarily furthercustomize the estimation of a completion time and/or a restingtemperature rise.

In block 408, a completion time is estimated based on at least theindication of the ambient temperature and the rate at which theindication of the food temperature changes. In this regard, a thermalmass or thermal conductivity of the food is considered by using the rateat which the indication of the food temperature changes, and the heatapplied to the food is also considered through the indication of theambient temperature.

In one implementation, an amount of time is measured for the indicationof the food temperature to increase by a temperature rise value X asdiscussed above with reference to block 406. This measurement may beperformed by a processor of the thermometer monitoring a signal from thethermal sensor. In other implementations, the thermometer may transmitvalues for the temperature signal to a remote device that measures thetime for the indication of the temperature to increase by thetemperature rise value.

The completion time may include estimating a resting temperature risefor an amount of temperature rise in the food after the food will beremoved from heat. As discussed in more detail below, a thermal value ofthe food can be determined based on at least the temperature rise valueand at least one of a food type of the food and an initial amount oftime for the indication of the food temperature to increase by thetemperature rise value during an initial period of cooking. The thermalvalue for the food is then used to estimate the resting temperaturerise. In such an example, the thermal value represents a thermalconductivity or thermal mass of the food. This allows for the ability ofthe food to heat up to be considered when estimating a completion timeor a resting temperature rise.

For example, a time t1 can be measured from the beginning of cookinguntil the temperature of the food 108 rises by a temperature rise valueX during an initial portion of the cooking process. A second time t2 canbe measured for the temperature of the food 108 to rise by the value Xduring a middle or more steady-state portion of the cooking process thatfollows the initial portion of the cooking process. A thermal value kcan be calculated based on the temperature rise during the middleportion of cooking using Equation 1 below.

k=X/t2   Equation 1

The resting temperature rise can be calculated using Equation 2 below.

ΔT _(rest) =k(t1−t2)   Equation 2

As an example, if it takes ten minutes for the temperature of food 108to rise by 10° during the initial portion of cooking, and it takes fiveminutes for the temperature of food 108 to rise by 10° during the middleportion of cooking, the thermal value is 2°/min using Equation 1 above.The resting temperature rise is then calculated as 10° using Equation 2(i.e., 2×(10 min−5 min)). Other implementations may use a differentcalculation to account for the thermal mass or conductivity of the food108 in predicting a resting temperature rise.

In situations where thermometer 100 includes an ambient thermal sensor,the ambient thermal sensor may be used to more accurately detect acooking start time by detecting when the ambient temperature risesfaster than a threshold value, such as a temperature increase of 5° C.This detection can be used in the example above to trigger themeasurement for t1. In other implementations, the detection of thebeginning of cooking can begin with a relatively small (e.g., 1° C.),but sudden temperature change indicating the insertion of thethermometer into the food 108. In another implementation, the beginningof cooking can be detected by the first temperature rise of the food 108that is measured by the thermometer 100. In yet another implementation,a user may indicate the start of cooking using a portable device, suchas with a user interface executed by device 110 a in FIG. 3B.

In some implementations, device 110 a or another device calculating aresting temperature rise may use readings from the ambient sensor toconsider changes in the cooking temperature during the cooking process.In one such implementation, an average of recent ambient temperatures isused to calculate an adjusted resting temperature rise as shown below inEquation 3.

ΔT _(restadj) =ΔT _(rest)( T _(amb) /T _(ambstart))   Equation 3

A completion time can be estimated using the thermal value of the food.In one implementation, a remaining temperature rise is calculated bysubtracting a current temperature for the food and the adjusted restingtemperature rise from a target temperature as shown below in Equation 4.

ΔT _(remaining) =T _(target)−(T _(current) +ΔT _(restadj))   Equation 4

The estimated completion time can then be estimated by dividing a recentthermal value by the remaining temperature rise calculated from Equation4 above. This implementation for calculating the estimated completiontime or estimated remaining time is expressed below in Equation 5.

t _(remaining) =k _(recent) /ΔT _(remaining)   Equation 5

The recent thermal value k_(recent) can be calculated in a similarmanner as the thermal value k discussed above.

The blocks discussed above may be repeated at various times throughout acooking process to provide updated estimates on the completion time.

Some implementations can advantageously take into account the cookingprocess and make real time recommendations as to cooking completion timeand temperature. A cooking process for meat often includes separatestages such as sear, cook, and rest. During the searing stage, high heatis applied to the meat to achieve surface crust texture, color, andflavor. During the cooking stage, the heat is applied to the meat untilinternal temperature reaches desired doneness or internal temperature.During the resting stage, the meat is removed from heat and the internaltemperature rises as heat between the surface of the meat and itsinternal parts equalizes.

With reference to block 410 of FIG. 4, at least one recommendation isprovided via a user interface based on at least one of the indication ofthe ambient temperature and the estimated completion time. For example,recommendations may be provided to a user in real time regarding whattime and temperature to move to the next stage of cooking. The cookingprocess can include a traditional progression of sear, cook, and rest,or a reverse sear progression cook, sear, rest), or a progression ofcook, rest, and sear. The estimates for time and temperature, can bebased on the same thermal mass and heat application considerationsdiscussed above. According to the foregoing aspects, separatetemperature and time estimates can be provided for different stages ofcooking to allow for separate estimates during each stage.

In addition, the stage of cooking during a cooking process of the foodcan be determined by using the ambient temperature detected by anambient thermal sensor in the thermometer. For example, a relatively lowambient temperature can correspond to a resting stage, a relativelyhigher range of ambient temperature can correspond to a cooking stage,and an even higher ambient temperature range can correspond to a searingstage. Using the ambient thermal sensor, cooking stages can beautomatically detected by the thermometer or a portable electronicdevice without additional user input. Alternatively, otherimplementations can allow for user input to indicate a particularcooking stage.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for an example resting temperature rise estimationprocess that can be partly or wholly performed by the processor 114 of aportable electronic device, a charging device in wireless communicationwith the food thermometer, or by the food thermometer itself. Theresting temperature rise estimation process of FIG. 5 can be performedas a sub-process of a completion time estimation process as in FIG. 4 oras part of its own process or another process.

The description for blocks 502 and 504 can be understood with referenceto the description above for blocks 404 and 406 of FIG. 4, so adescription for these blocks is not repeated here. In block 506, aresting temperature rise is estimated based on the rate at which theindication of the food temperature changes. In addition, block 506considers at least one of a food type and an initial amount of time forthe indication of the food temperature to increase by a temperature risevalue during an initial period of cooking. In one example, a food type(e.g., ribeye steak, chicken, brisket) may be selected by a user via auser interface. The food type can then indicate a thermal mass of thefood that can be used with the rate determined in block 504 to estimatea resting temperature rise for the food.

Other implementations may consider an initial amount of time for theindication of the food temperature to increase by a temperature risevalue. The initial amount of time can be used with a thermal value asdiscussed above with reference to Equation 2 to calculate a restingtemperature rise.

In block 508, an adjusted resting temperature rise can be calculatedbased on one or more indications of an ambient temperature within apredetermined time period. In one example, an average of recent ambienttemperature values can increase or decrease the resting temperature riseestimated in block 506. In yet another example, a current ambienttemperature value can increase or decrease the resting temperature riseestimated in block 506. For example, the current ambient temperaturevalue may be compared to a reference ambient temperature value, such asan ambient temperature value at the start of cooking. This comparisoncan provide an estimate of the heat applied to the food, which can beused to adjust the resting temperature rise.

FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of the thermometer 100 according to anembodiment. The third portion 102 includes an ambient thermal sensor andan antenna. The handle 116 can be held by a user to insert or remove thethermometer 100 into or out of the food 108. The handle or hilt 116 caninclude a material for heat resistance and safer handling of thethermometer after heating. In some implementations, the hilt 116 caninclude an electrically insulating material that can withstand the hightemperatures of a cooking environment. For example, the material of thehilt 116 can include alumina, zirconia, ceramic porcelain, glass, or ahigh temperature plastic for relatively lower cooking temperatureapplications.

The first portion 106 includes electronics that are sensitive to heat.The heat sensitive electronics of the first portion 106 are positionedclose to a tip portion 112 of the thermometer to ordinarily allow forthe greatest amount of insulation from the food 108 in protecting theheat sensitive electronics from high temperatures. The probe shaft 144may include an exterior blade 118 made of stainless steel or anotherstainless material to allow for easier insertion of the thermometer 100into the food 108.

As discussed above, the third portion 102 can include an ambient thermalsensor to measure the ambient temperature near the food 108. The thirdportion 102 can also include an antenna for establishing wirelesscommunication with a portable electronic device such as electronicdevice 110 in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 7 is an internal view of the thermometer 100 showing internalcomponents encompassed by the probe shaft 144. Box 121 is shown forillustration purposes to roughly delineate parts of the thermometer 100that are usually positioned inside the food 108. As shown in FIG. 7, box121 includes the printed circuit board (PCB) 120 a, battery 120 b, andother electronic components 120 c that are sensitive to heat. In thisregard, battery 120 b and electronic components 120 c are located closerto the tip portion 112 than electronics on PCB 120 a that are lesssensitive to heat so that the battery 120 b and the electroniccomponents 120 c are better insulated by the food 108. In otherimplementations, all of the electronics of thermometer 100 may belocated in the first portion 106.

FIG. 8 further illustrates an example arrangement of various componentsin the food thermometer 100 according to an embodiment. A person ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the relative proportionsshown in FIG. 8 and example materials discussed below can differ indifferent implementations.

As shown in FIG. 8, the thermometer 100 includes a thermal sensor 136inside the second portion 104 of the thermometer 100 that is inelectrical communication with the electronics 120 a. The thermal sensor136 is located within the thermometer 100 to detect a temperature of thefood 108. In the example of FIG. 8, the thermal sensor 136 includes athermocouple wire that extends along a length of a portion of thethermometer 100 to provide a temperature measurement across a portion ofthe food 108. In other implementations, the thermal sensor 136 caninclude other types of thermal sensors such as a Resistance TemperatureDetector (RTD), one or more thermistors, or an infrared sensor.

A ground spring 128 serves to help ground the electronics 120 a to theexterior or blade of the thermometer 100. In some implementations, theexterior or blade 118 of the thermometer 100 can include a terrificstainless steel. The tip 112 can similarly be made of a ferriticstainless steel. The electronics 120 a. are attached to the tip 112 andthe antenna 126 with a push fit at each of locations 134 and 135,respectively.

The antenna 126 is positioned in the third portion 102 and can include ametal material such as stainless steel, a copper material, or a copperalloy with nickel that is in electronic communication with theelectronics 120 a. In the implementation shown in FIG. 8, the antenna126 is a quarter wave monopole antenna. In other implementations, theantenna 126 can be a half wave dipole. The dimensions and shape of theantenna 126 can vary based on the RF technology being used. In the casewhere the antenna 126 is a quarter wave monopole, an effective length ofthe antenna 126 is approximately a quarter of the wavelength used at aparticular frequency. For example, when using a frequency of 2.4 GHz,the effective length of the antenna would be 27 mm. The effective lengthof the antenna 126 may take into consideration a folding of the antennato decrease the space consumed by the antenna 126 in the thermometer100. The length of the middle portion of the thermometer 100 is sized tobe at least twice the length of the antenna 126 when using a quarterlength monopole.

In the example of FIG. 8, the tip 112 can be welded to the blade 118 anda silicon based flexible glue can be used to affix the electronics 120 aand the antenna 126 to the exterior structure of the thermometer 100near the hilt 116.

In other implementations, an interference fit attaches the electronics120 a and/or the antenna 126 to the exterior structure of thethermometer 100. The interference fit may include, for example, using atight fitting metal gasket or an arrangement where an internal surfaceof the exterior structure fits over a surface of the electronics 120 aor a surface of the antenna 126. Using an interference fit generallyshortens an assembly time since there is no need for a glue to cure andcan provide improved waterproofing and high temperature durability ascompared to most adhesives. The use of an interference fit can alsoeliminate perceived food safety concerns associated with the adhesiveescaping from the interior of the thermometer 100.

FIG. 9A shows a charging apparatus 700 for charging the battery 120 b ofthe thermometer 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 9B shows thethermometer 100 removed from the charging apparatus 700. In this state,the thermometer 100 is automatically set to an ON state.

In some implementations, the thermometer 100 is automatically set to anoff state or low power state when positioned in the receptacle of thecharging apparatus 700 to conserve power when the thermometer 100 is notin use. During the off state or the low power state, certain portions ofthe electronics 120 a may be powered off that do not relate to chargingthe battery 120 b or detecting a charging state of the thermometer 100.

Similarly, the thermometer 100 can be automatically activated or turnedon when the thermometer is no longer in contact with the chargingapparatus 700. When activated, the thermometer 100 may attempt to pairwith a portable device such as portable device 110 a or otherwiseattempt to wirelessly communicate. In addition, circuitry for measuringthe temperature of the thermal sensor 136 and an ambient temperature mayalso be powered. Thermometer 100 may detect that it is no longer incontact with the charging apparatus 700 via a contact of the thermometer100 being no longer in contact with charging apparatus 700 or Whencharging of the thermometer 100 stops. In this regard, someimplementations may include charging of the thermometer 100 through adirect contact with the charging apparatus 700, while otherimplementations may charge using inductive charging.

The automatic activation of the thermometer 100 using a voltage suppliedby the charging apparatus 700 can ordinarily reduce the need foradditional components such as an external button or switch to activateor wake the thermometer 100 from the low power or deactivated mode. Suchan external button or switch on the thermometer 100 cam complicate themanufacture and increase the cost of the thermometer due towaterproofing, sealing, or high heat design specifications.

In the example of FIGS. 8A and 8B, a Bluetooth button 122 is providedfor allowing the charging apparatus 700 to wirelessly communicate with aportable electronic device to indicate a status of charging. Thecharging status indicator 124 (e.g., an LED) is also provided toindicate the charging status. If the thermometer 100 has less than acertain threshold of power (e.g., 95% state of charge), the chargingapparatus 700 will automatically charge it to full power.

As noted above, the charging apparatus 700 may also serve as a wirelessconnection bridge between the thermometer 100 and a wireless network(e.g., wireless network 111 in FIG. 3A). The charging apparatus 700 mayalso include an interface for connecting to the wireless network.

In addition, other embodiments may include a display on the chargingapparatus 700 to provide temperature information received from thethermometer 100 when it is in use. In this regard, the chargingapparatus can include an interface for communicating with thethermometer 100. In some embodiments, the charging apparatus 700 caninclude the processor 114 and the memory 115 discussed above forelectronic device 110 a in FIG. 3B. In such embodiments, the chargingdevice 700 can execute the application 10 to process temperature datareceived from thermometer 100 and generate information based on thereceived temperature data, such as the thermal mass of the food 108, thecompletion time, the resting temperature rise, or specific cookinginstructions. An indication of some or all of this generated informationmay be output on an output device of the charging apparatus 700, such asa display or on a speaker.

FIG. 10A shows an exterior view of another embodiment of a thermometer200. The like numbers in the 200's range refer to similar componentsdiscussed above in the 100's range for the thermometer 100. Thethermometer 200 includes a cylindrical pipe portion 230 located betweena tip portion 212 and a handle 216 in an antenna region 202corresponding to the third portion 102 of the thermometer 100 discussedabove. At the distal end, a cap 228 is connected to the handle 216.Certain differences in shape between the thermometer 200 and thethermometer 100 such as the cylindrical shape of the pipe 230 or theshape of the cap 228 can be related to design considerations, such asaesthetics, lower manufacturing costs, durability or ease of use.

FIG. 10B shows a transparent view of the thermometer 200. A battery 220b is shown positioned around the PCB 220 a contacts. Spring 228 providesan electrical ground contact for the electronics of the thermometer 200.As shown in FIG. 10B, the PCB 220 a extends from the tip portion 212through the pipe portion 230 and to the antenna region 202. However, theelectronics that are sensitive to heat are located on the PCB 220 acloser to the tip portion 212 than to the antenna region 202. Otherelectronics that are not as sensitive to heat can be located closertoward the antenna region 202. The temperature pair 240 provides ambienttemperature measurement near an exterior of the food. FIG. 10C shows thePCB 220 a, the temp pair 240, and grounding spring 228 in isolation toillustrate their exemplary structures. FIG. 10C is an internal side viewof the thermometer 200.

As shown in FIG. 10B the battery 232 is positioned near the tip portion212 to allow the food to insulate the battery 232 from hightemperatures. One of the advantages of this arrangement is utilizing thebattery structure and positioning it in a manner to allow the battery tooperate despite high temperatures in a cooking vessel that may otherwisedegrade performance. Traditional electrolyte batteries for thermometersas known in the art may fail to operate under high temperatureconditions due to a lack of high temperature tolerance and/or hightemperature insulation. Due to the insulation provided by the food 108,the battery 232 can ordinarily have a lower operating temperature limitcorresponding to a maximum food cooking temperature plus a factor ofsafety (e.g., 100° C. for meat).

In addition, the battery 232 in some implementations can include asolid-state battery that tolerates a relatively higher temperature, suchas a thin film lithium battery that can tolerate up to 170° C. beforeperformance degrades. In such an implementation, the battery 232 wouldalso not include volatile solvents or liquid state chemicals that mayfurther eliminate potential food safety concerns.

As set forth above, the thermometer 200 also advantageously utilizesambient thermal sensing. Temperature measurement of a cooking vessel orambient heat can be taken near the food being cooked to enhance theaccuracy of temperature measurement since heat can vary from onelocation to another within a cooking vessel, such as a BBQ. For anRF-based thermometer such as the thermometer 100, the antenna can belocated in the same portion of the thermometer as an ambient sensor,which is just outside the food 108. Such an embodiment advantageouslycombines the antenna and the thermal sensor as the portion 102 discussedabove with respect to FIG. 1. One challenge is that the portion 102 mayoften need to withstand high temperatures within the cooking vessel thatcan reach up to 400° C.

Referring to FIG. 11A, one embodiment for sensing ambient temperature isshown. An ambient thermal sensor 940 may include an RTD, or otherpassive high temperature sensor such as a thermistor. The ambientthermal sensor 940 is positioned at an end of the thermometer 900A, awayfrom the food for better accuracy when the thermometer 900A is insertedinto the food 908. The antenna 926 is also located in an end portion ofthe thermometer 900A in antenna region 902, to avoid reduction of RFperformance since the food 908 may otherwise attenuate RF signals.

The thermal sensor wire or wires 942 electrically connect the ambientthermal sensor 940 with a PCB in the thermometer 900A. In order toreduce interference to antenna functionality due to inductive andcapacitive coupling between the antenna 926 and the sensor wire(s) 942,some implementations can advantageously increase a high frequencyimpedance between the thermal sensor wire(s) 942 and the ground plane(shell) 944. Filter components 946 can also be added to mitigate thedeterioration of RF performance. The filter components 946 may includeferrite beads, inductors, capacitors, resistors, and/or other electroniccomponents configured to mitigate the effect.

In other implementations, the PCB of the thermometer 900A can include aninfrared sensor to measure a temperature of the antenna region 902instead of using the ambient thermal sensor 940 in the antenna region902. The temperature of the antenna region would then indirectlyindicate the ambient temperature near the exterior of the food 908. Insuch implementations, infrared light radiated from a component in theantenna region 902, such as the antenna 926 or the handle, is detectedby the infrared sensor to measure a temperature in the antenna region902. A light guide may also be used to direct the infrared light fromthe antenna region 902 to the infrared sensor.

Referring to FIG. 11B, an alternative arrangement of the thermometer900B for sensing ambient temperature is shown. The ambient thermalsensor 940 may be an RTD, or other passive high temperature sensor. Thelocation of the thermal sensor 940 can ordinarily reduce interferencethat might otherwise be caused by the thermal sensor 940. The antenna.926 is located at the distal end of the thermometer 900B, outside of thefood 908 to avoid reduction of RF performance caused by the food 108attenuating RF signals.

The ambient thermal sensor 940 is positioned outside of the antennaregion 902 toward a center portion of the thermometer 900B and detectsthe ambient temperature via the antenna 926. In more detail, the ambientthermal sensor 940 is located inside the second portion 904 and is notdirectly exposed to the ambient space outside of the thermometer 90013.The ambient thermal sensor 940 is in thermal contact with the antenna926 and indirectly detects the ambient temperature near an exteriorportion of the food 908 via thermal conduction through the antenna 926,which may or may not be exposed to the ambient space near the exteriorof the food 908.

One challenge associated with this arrangement is that the thermalsensor 940 is not directly detecting ambient temperature, but rather,the thermal sensor 940 is detecting the ambient temperature viamechanical couplings. Although thermometer 90013 in FIG. 11B may have abetter RF performance as compared to thermometer 900A in FIG. 11A, thethermal response for the thermal sensor 940 of thermometer 9003 istypically slower and there can be some loss of thermal measurementresolution due to the indirect measurement through antenna 926.

Referring to FIG. 11C, an alternative arrangement for sensing ambienttemperature is shown. In thermometer 900C, the thermal sensor 940 andthe thermal sensor wire or wires 942 are used as at least part of anantenna. As shown in FIG. 11C, the thermal sensor wiring 942 extendsfrom the electronics of 920 a in the first portion 906, and through thesecond portion 904 to reach the ambient thermal sensor 940 in the thirdportion 902. Mixer 948 combines RF signals to the thermal sensor wire(s)942. Thermal sensor wire(s) 942 then work as antenna(s) after separatingfrom ground reference 941. For ground referenced antennas, a dipoleantenna could also be used but it may require a larger size for similarperformance. The arrangement of thermometer 900C advantageously enhancesRE performance and increases time and accuracy of the thermal sensor940.

In order for the thermometer 900C to be re-chargeable, it can receivepower from an external power source to recharge. This can be challengingwhen having to confine charging to an end of the thermometer (e.g.,region 902 that houses the antenna 926) which is external to food 908.Antenna region 902 may have to endure relatively high ambienttemperatures up to 400° C. and maintain sealing to prevent water orother contaminants from entering the thermometer 900C.

Referring to FIG. 11D, an external electric contact 950 is provided forcharging the battery of the food thermometer 900D. The discrete externalelectric contact 950 is configured to allow the thermometer 900D toreceive power from an external source, such as charging device 700discussed above for recharging the battery.

In the example of FIG. 11D, the external electric contact 950 isconnected with the antenna 926, thereby combining antenna and chargingto relate to the same electrical signal. RF signals are separated fromcharging using a separator filter 948. This feature advantageouslyallows co-locating, both types of signals in antenna region 902 withoutinterference.

In an alternative arrangement, inductive charging can be applied tocharge the thermometer 900D. However, inductive charging may require arelatively large inductive component. As such, some implementations canuse a discrete charging contact instead of inductive charging due toadvantages related to size, simplicity, and efficiency of theelectronics.

In some implementations, the thermometer 900D can save power by turningoff radio communications when charging via charging contact 950. Thiscan ordinarily reduce the size of the battery needed for the thermometer900D. In one implementation, a charging device such as charging device700 can be used to communicate with electronics of the thermometer 900Dvia the charging contact 950. Wireless products may need user controlfor operations such as the Bluetooth pairing process. The user may needto be able to send simple messages to the thermometer 900D by physicalmeans before being able to establish RF communication. In conventionaldevices, such messages are usually given via mechanical means such as apush button or switch. In the example of thermometer 900D such messagesby be sent by pressing a button on the charging device 700 and using thecharging contact to send the message via a physical connection throughantenna 926, thermal sensor 940, and thermal sensor wiring 942 to reachthe separator filter 948, which can include RF/control signal filtercomponents to separate received control signals from RF signals fortransmission via antenna 926. In this regard, the filter components 948can be utilized to separate control signals from RF signals. Controlsignals can be sent using low frequency signals, thereby making iteasier to separate them from RF signals with frequency filters of thefilter components 948.

The thermometer 900D may also need to sustain high temperatures andmaintain sealing from external contaminants. Mechanical simplicity maythen be desirable and can be obtained by avoiding additional mechanicalswitches or buttons on the thermometer 900D. The thermometer 900D canadvantageously use the recharging contact 950 to send signals to theportable electronic device, thereby enhancing mechanical simplicity.

FIG. 11E illustrates an arrangement of the thermometer 900E where aninner shell 952 is used as at least part of an antenna in an antennaportion 926 of the inner shell 952, and also used as part of a coaxialwave guide with the outer shell 944 in a coaxial transmission portion958 of the inner shell 952. As shown in FIG. 11E, the charging contact950, thermal sensor 940, the thermal sensor wiring 942, and the antennaportion 926 of the inner shell 952 comprise an antenna. The antennaportion 926 is located within the hilt 916, which can include a ceramicmaterial.

The inner shell 952 can be made of a conductive material such as copper,which can transmit a signal from the PCB 920 a or other electronics inthe first or second portions of the thermometer 900E to the antenna inthe third portion 902 for transmission to a remote portable device or acharging device. The coaxial transmission portion 958 of the inner shell952 is located within the metallic outer shell 944, which can include astainless steel material. The metal outer shell 944 works with thecoaxial transmission portion 958 of the inner shell 952 to serve as awaveguide so that an antenna RF signal is generally confined between theouter shell 944 and the inner shell 952 in the second portion.

The thermal sensor wiring 942 and the ambient thermal sensor 940 arelocated inside the inner shell 952, which generally shields them fromthe antenna RF signal between the inner shell 952 and the outer shell944. As a result, interference is reduced in both the temperature signalconducted in the sensor wiring 942 and the antenna RF signal conductedin the coaxial transmission waveguide. In other words, placing thesensor wiring 942 inside the inner shell 952 can ordinarily avoid RFinfluence on the antenna signal and interference in the temperaturesignal carried in the sensor wiring 942. In this regard, someimplementations may use air or another dielectric material as aninsulator between the sensor wiring 942 and the inner shell 952 tofurther reduce interference between the temperature signal and theantenna signal.

In the example of FIG. 11E, the ambient thermal sensor 940 indirectlymeasures the ambient temperature through the charging contact 950. Thiscan allow for the measurement of the ambient temperature at a preferredlocation on the end of the thermometer 900E. In some implementations,the ambient thermal sensor 940 can include a thermocouple.

The combination of the charging contact 950 and the inner shell 952serves as a charging path for charging the battery 920 b in the firstportion 906 of the thermometer 900E. The PCB 920 a located in the secondportion 904 and includes grounded terminals 951 at both the terminal 951a connecting the battery 920 b and at the terminal 951 b connecting thesensor wiring 942. The terminals 951 are grounded on the outer metalshell 944, and the contacts for the thermal sensor wiring 942 on the PCB920 a are inside the inner shell 952 to further reduce possible RFinterference. The PCB 920 a can include a microstrip line for carryingan antenna signal and a transformer to convert the antenna signal fromthe microstrip line to the coaxial transmission portion of the innershell 952.

The thermal sensor 936 in mounted on the PCB 920 a and detects atemperature of the outer shell 944 for measuring a temperature of theinterior of the food. Since sensor 936 is behind the coaxialtransmission portion of the inner shell 952, there is no interferencewith the RF antenna signal transmitted to the antenna portion 902.

In summary, the inner shell 952 is configured to provide one or more offour different functions in the thermometer 900E. The first function canbe as at least part of an antenna in the antenna portion 902 of theinner shell 952. The second function can be as a coaxial transmissionline inside the outer shell 944 to early a signal between the antennaportion 902 and electronics, such as those located on the PCB 920 a. Thethird function can be as a conductor for charging the battery 920 b viathe charging contact 950. The fourth function can be for communicatingan activation or deactivation of the thermometer 900E depending onwhether the thermometer 900E is charging via the charging contact 950.As noted above, activation can include enabling a pairing mode via theantenna.

By serving multiple functions with the inner shell 952, it is ordinarilypossible to condense the size of thermometer 900E, while improving itsperformance in terms of the RF signal of the antenna and the accuracy ofambient temperature measurement.

FIG. 12 shows electronic device 110 including user interface 123 andcircuitry 125. As discussed above with reference to the example of FIG.3B, electronic device 110 may include, for example, a smartphone, atablet, a smart watch, or a laptop. FIG. 12 also shows food thermometer1000 including a plurality of thermal sensors 1036 and a flip sensor1060.

As shown in the example of FIG. 12, circuitry 125 of electronic device110 includes memory 115, processor 114, and interface 119. Processor 114is configured to execute application 10 stored in memory 115 forprocessing data wirelessly received from food thermometer 1000 viainterface 119, and presenting information to a user via user interface123. Application 10 can include computer-executable instructions forproviding information based on data wirelessly received from foodthermometer 1000, such as a recipe including instructions orrecommendations that can automatically progress from one stage to thenext stage based on data wirelessly received from food thermometer 1000.

User interface 123 of electronic device 110 may include, for example, atouchscreen, a display, LEDs, and/or a speaker. Circuitry 125 maycontrol an output of user interface 123 based on the execution ofapplication 10 and/or user input received from a user via user interface123. User interface 123 may also be controlled to display informationsuch as a current temperature or a time remaining for cooking food basedon the recipe. Food thermometer 1000 sends data such as temperature dataor orientation data to interface 119 of electronic device 110, which mayinclude, for example, a Bluetooth interface. Processor 114 of electronicdevice 110 may also optionally send the processed data or data generatedfrom executing the application 10 to a wireless network, such as a WiFinetwork, via an interface of the electronic device, such as viainterface 117 in the example of electronic device 110 a in FIG. 3Bdiscussed above.

User interface 123 of electronic device 110 can, for example, display acurrent temperature of the food, a completion time prediction, orrecommendations on how to cook food to achieve a result specified by theuser such as a final doneness of the food (e.g., medium or well-done).As discussed in more detail below with reference to the example recipeprogression processes of FIGS. 13 to 15B, the recommendations or cookinginstructions provided by user interface 123 and circuitry 125 caninclude an automatic progression through stages of a recipe for cookingthe food. Such stages can include, for example, detection that foodthermometer 1000 has been inserted into food, detection that the foodhas been placed inside a heated cooking vessel or cooking appliance,instructions to perform basting, adjustments to the temperature of thecooking vessel, instructions to flip the food (e.g., a steak),instructions to cover the food with foil, instructions to remove thefood from heat, a recommendation that the food is ready to eat (i.e.,how long to let the food rest outside the cooking vessel beforeserving), and/or when to sear the food. As noted above, devices known inthe art have not been able to accurately predict completion times,predict a resting temperature rise after removing the food from thecooking vessel, or provide accurate instructions on when to adjust thecooking temperature or perform another cooking action, such as theexample stages noted above.

As shown in the example of food thermometer 1000 in FIG. 12, theconstruction of the food thermometer 1000 can be similar to that of foodthermometer 900E discussed above with reference to FIG. 11E. Foodthermometer 1000 in FIG. 12 includes an inner shell 1052 that is used asat least part of an antenna in an antenna portion 1026 of the innershell 1052, and also used as part of a coaxial wave guide with the outershell 1044 in a coaxial transmission portion 1058 of the inner shell1052. In addition, food thermometer 1000 includes charging contact 1050,ambient thermal sensor 1040, and thermal sensor wiring 1042 for ambientthermal sensor 1040. Antenna portion 1026 of the inner shell 1052comprises an antenna located within the hilt 1016, which can include aceramic material.

Inner shell 1052 can be made of a conductive material such as copper,which can transmit a signal from PCB 1020 a or other electronics in thefirst or second portions of the thermometer 1000 to the antenna. In thethird portion 1002 for transmission to electronic device 110. Theantenna 1026 in the third portion 1002 may also be used to wirelesslyreceive signals or data from electronic device 110 for processing bycircuitry of PCB 1020 a. The coaxial transmission portion 1058 of theinner shell 1052 is located within the metallic outer shell 1044, whichcan include a stainless steel material. The metal outer shell 1044 workswith the coaxial transmission portion 1058 of the inner shell 1052 toserve as a waveguide so that an antenna RF signal is generally confinedbetween the outer shell 1044 and the inner shell 1052 in the secondportion.

The thermal sensor wiring 1042 and the ambient thermal sensor 1040 arelocated inside the inner shell 1052, which generally shields them fromthe antenna RF signal between the inner shell 1052 and the outer shell1044. As a result, interference is reduced in both the temperaturesignal conducted in the sensor wiring 1042 and the antenna RF signalconducted in the coaxial transmission waveguide. In other words, placingthe sensor wiring 1042 inside the inner shell 1052 can ordinarily reduceRF influence on the antenna signal and interference in the temperaturesignal carried in the sensor wiring 1042. In this regard, someimplementations may use air or another dielectric material as aninsulator between the sensor wiring 1042 and the inner shell 1052 toreduce interference between the temperature signal and the antennasignal.

In the example of FIG. 12, the ambient thermal sensor 1040 indirectlymeasures the ambient temperature through the charging contact 1050. Thiscan allow for the measurement of the ambient temperature near oradjacent to an exterior surface of the food when thermometer 1000 isinserted into the food. In some implementations, the ambient thermalsensor 1040 can include a thermocouple.

As with the example of food thermometer 900E discussed above withreference to FIG. 11E, the combination of the charging contact 1050 andthe inner shell 1052 in FIG. 12 can serve as a charging path forcharging the battery 1020 b in the first portion 1006 of the thermometer1000. However, food thermometer 1000 in FIG. 12 differs from thermometer900E in that thermometer 1000 includes three internal food thermalsensors 1036 a, 1036 b, and 1036 c configured to measure an internaltemperature of the food at different locations. As shown in FIG. 12,thermal sensor 1036 a can measure a temperature of outer shell 1044 at atip of thermometer 1000, thermal sensor 1036 b can measure a temperatureof outer shell 1044 at a middle section of first portion 1006, andthermal sensor 1036 c can measure the temperature of outer shell 1044 ata location closer to coaxial transmission portion 1058. In the exampleof FIG. 12, each of thermal sensors 1036 a, 1036 b, and 1036 c islocated behind the coaxial transmission portion of the inner shell 1052,so there is limited interference with the RF antenna signal transmittedto the antenna portion 1002.

In some implementations, temperature data or a temperature measurementfrom any one of the three thermal sensors 1036 can cause circuitry 125of electronic device 110 to progress a recipe on user interface 123 to anext stage. In other implementations, the temperature measurements fromthe three thermal sensors 1036 may be averaged together. As will beappreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, other implementationsof thermometer 1000 may include a different number of internal foodthermal sensors 1036.

In addition to including multiple internal food thermal sensors 1036,thermometer 1000 in FIG. 12 also differs from thermometer 900E of FIG.11E in that PCB 1020 a includes a flip sensor 1060 configured to detectflipping of food when the food is flipped upside down and the foodthermometer 1000 is inserted into the food. Flip sensor 1060 caninclude, for example, a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS)gyroscope, an accelerometer, a gravity switch, or other type ofcircuitry capable of detecting a change in orientation of thethermometer 1000. In other implementations, flip sensor 1060 may not belocated on PCB 1020 a. For example, flip sensor 1060 in otherimplementations may be located inside inner shell 1052.

Food thermometer 1000 can wirelessly send orientation data to electronicdevice 110 indicating a flipping or turning upside down of thethermometer 1000 that is detected by flip sensor 1060. For example,circuitry 125 of electronic device 110 may have previously determinedthat thermometer 1000 had been inserted into food by a sudden drop in atemperature measured by one or more of thermal sensors 1036, andcircuitry 125 may then have determined from wirelessly receivedtemperature data indicating a temperature measured by ambient thermalsensor 1040 that the food had been placed in a heated cooking vessel orcooking appliance. A stage in a recipe displayed by user interface 123may indicate that the food should be flipped based on temperature datawirelessly received from food thermometer 1000. Circuitry 125 may thenautomatically progress the recipe on user interface 123 to the nextstage following the flipping instruction or flipping stage in responseto orientation data received from food thermometer 1000 indicating adetected flipping of the food.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart for a recipe progression process that can beperformed by circuitry of an electronic device, such as by circuitry 125of electronic device 110 in FIG. 12, according to an embodiment. Inblock 1302, temperature data is wirelessly received from a foodthermometer (e.g., food thermometer 900E in FIG. 11E or food thermometer1000 in FIG. 12) inserted into food. The temperature data can indicateone or more temperatures measured by a thermal sensor of the foodthermometer, such as thermal sensors 1036 a, 1036 b, 1036 c, or ambientthermal sensor 1040 in FIG. 12. The temperature data may reflectmultiple temperatures taken at different points in time by one or morethermal sensors. In some implementations, the wirelessly receivedtemperature data in block 1302 is received at various times throughoutpreparation of the food using the recipe. For example, the foodthermometer may send temperature data indicating internal foodtemperatures every 30 seconds, while the food thermometer sendstemperature data indicating an ambient temperature adjacent an exteriorof the food every 60 seconds. The temperature data can be received viaan interface of the circuitry, such as a Bluetooth interface (e.g.,interface 119 in FIG. 12).

In block 1304, the circuitry of the electronic device estimates aremaining time for cooking the food based at least in part on thereceived temperature data. As discussed above with reference to thecompletion time estimation process of FIG. 4, the circuitry maydetermine a rate at which a temperature indicated by the temperaturedata has changed. For example, the circuitry may subtract a previouslyindicated temperature from the temperature indicated by the receivedtemperature data and divide by the difference in time between the twomeasurements. The time of the measurements may be included as part ofthe temperature data received from the food thermometer or may be set bythe circuitry as when the temperature data was received. In someexamples, the circuitry may determine a temperature rise value based onan indication of an ambient temperature indicated by wirelessly receivedtemperature data, as discussed above with reference to the completiontime estimation process of FIG. 4. In such an example, an ambienttemperature range can be used to select a temperature rise value, X, andan amount of time for an internal food temperature to increase by X maybe used to estimate the remaining time for cooking the food.

As discussed above in more detail with reference to the completion timeestimation process of FIG. 4, the temperature rise value X can beselected from different temperature rise values corresponding todifferent ambient temperature ranges and/or types of food. In such anexample, a table of temperature rise values can be stored in a memory ofthe electronic device (e.g., memory 115 in FIG. 12) for access by aprocessor of the electronic device. A user of the electronic device mayselect a food type or recipe for preparing the food from a plurality offood types or recipes (e.g., ribeye steak, sirloin steak, chicken), withthe different food types or recipes being associated with differenttemperature rise values for the same ambient temperature value or rangeof ambient temperature values. The selection of a food type or recipecan ordinarily further customize the estimation of a completion time ora remaining time for cooking the food.

In block 1306, the circuitry indicates the progression of the recipe onthe user interface of the electronic device to at least two new stagesbased on temperature data wirelessly received from the food thermometer.In some cases, the progression to a new stage in the recipe may be theresult of a specific threshold temperature being reached. In othercases, the progression to the new stage may be based on a certain amountof time passing, such as the estimated remaining time in block 1304. Inthis regard, the progression to the new stage based on reaching anestimated time for the completion of cooking or an intermediate stagederived from the estimated remaining time is also based on thewirelessly received temperature data, since the temperature data wasused to estimate the remaining time in block 1304.

As examples of stages that are discussed in more detail below withreference to the recipe progression processes of FIGS. 14 to 15B, apreparation for cooking stage may begin or end with a detected drop inan internal food temperature resulting from the food thermometer beinginserted into the food, and the recipe may progress to a first cookingstage after an ambient temperature exceeds a threshold value resultingfrom the food being initially heated. The recipe may further progress toa basting stage or other intermediate preparation stage that may requireopening the cooking vessel in response to a detected increase in ambienttemperature after the cooking vessel is closed. In another example, therecipe may progress from a second cooking stage to a resting stage wherethe food has been removed from heat due to a detected decrease inambient temperature from the cooking vessel being opened and the foodremoved. In yet another example, the recipe may progress from a restingstage to a ready to serve or eat stage in response to the internaltemperature of the food reaching a maximum temperature or being within arange of the maximum temperature. In yet another example, the recipe mayprogress to a searing stage due to a detected decrease in the internaltemperature of the food by a threshold value after reaching the maximumtemperature. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in theart in light of the present disclosure, various stages of a recipe mayprogress or advance on the user interface based on wirelessly receivedtemperature data from the food thermometer.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart for a recipe progression process for use with afood thermometer including a plurality of thermal sensors according toan embodiment. The process of FIG. 14 may be performed by circuitry ofan electronic device, such as by circuitry 125 of electronic device 110in FIG. 12 in communication with food thermometer 1000 including thermalsensors 1036 a, 1036 b, and 1036 c.

In block 1402, the circuitry determines that one or more of thetemperatures indicated by wirelessly received temperature data from thefood thermometer have exceeded or reached a threshold value. Forexample, the circuitry may receive three temperatures representing aninterior temperature of the food at three different locations. Thecircuitry may then determine that one of the three temperatures exceedsa threshold value for progressing to a next stage in a recipe, such as athreshold value for removing the food from heat, serving the food, orsearing the food.

In block 1404, the circuitry indicates the progression of the recipe ona user interface in response to determining that one or more of theindicated temperatures exceeded or reached the threshold value. In someimplementations, a temperature measured by one thermal sensor may be ahigh maximum temperature, and the temperature may continue to increaseat the other locations during a resting stage of the recipe, asdiscussed above with reference to the processes of FIGS. 4 and 5. Inother implementations, the circuitry may have different temperaturethreshold values for different thermal sensors depending on theirrelative locations. For example, temperature thresholds for sensorscloser to the tip of the food thermometer may be higher than for thermalsensors farther from the tip. The circuitry in some implementations mayrequire reaching a threshold value or values for multiple thermal sensorlocations before progressing to the next stage in the recipe.

As another example, the circuitry may progress the recipe on the userinterface or provide a recommendation based on the determination thatone or more of the indicated temperatures exceeded or reached athreshold value for performing an intermediate cooking or preparationstep. For example, the circuitry may progress the recipe to indicatethat a pork shoulder should be wrapped in foil when an indicatedtemperature for an internal temperature of the pork reaches 70° C.

FIGS. 15A and 15B provide a flowchart for a recipe progression processincluding a resting stage, a searing stage, and one or more stagesrequiring the opening or closing of a cooking vessel according to anembodiment. The process of FIGS. 15A and 15B may be performed bycircuitry of an electronic device, such as by circuitry 125 ofelectronic device 110 in FIG. 12 in communication with food thermometer1000.

In block 1502, the circuitry determines that a temperature T1 indicatedby wirelessly received temperature data from the food thermometer hasdecreased by at least a threshold value of Y1 from a previouslyindicated temperature of T0. The previously indicated temperature T0 canrepresent a temperature measured by an internal food thermal sensor ofthe food thermometer (e.g., any of sensors 1036 a, 1036 b, or 1036 c inFIG. 12), which was wirelessly received from the food thermometer beforeit was inserted into the food. In some implementations, the thresholdvalue Y1 may be 5° C., such that a drop of 5° C. within a 60 secondinterval can trigger the progression to the next stage of the recipefrom an initial preparation stage, which may correspond to the foodthermometer being removed from a charging or storage device.

In block 504, the circuitry indicates on the user interface that thefood thermometer has been inserted into the food. This initialprogression of the recipe can be automatic from the perspective of theuser in that the circuitry determines that the measured temperature hasdecreased by at least the threshold value within a certain period oftime, and updates the recipe on the user interface to instruct the nextstage of the recipe, such as putting the food in a preheated cookingvessel.

In block 1506, the circuitry determines that a temperature T3 indicatedby wirelessly received temperature data has increased by at least athreshold value Y2 from a previously indicated temperature T2. Thepreviously indicated temperature T2 can represent a temperature measuredby an internal food thermal sensor of the food thermometer (e.g., any ofthermal sensors 1036 a, 1036 b, or 1036 c in FIG. 12) or an ambientthermal sensor of the food thermometer (e.g., thermal sensor 1040 inFIG. 12), which was wirelessly received from the food thermometer beforethe food was placed in the heated cooking vessel or after the food wasplaced in the heated cooking vessel.

In block 1508, the circuitry indicates the progression of the recipe onthe user interface to a new cooking stage. In some examples, the newcooking stage could be a general cooking stage with au indication thatthe remaining cooking time or completion cooking time is beingestimated. In other examples, the new cooking stage may indicate that atarget temperature has been reached for performing a different operationsuch as basting the food or another intermediate preparation stage, suchas flipping the food, covering the food with foil, or adding aningredient.

In addition, the circuitry may also progress the recipe on the userinterface or provide a recommendation based on the estimated remainingtime for cooking the food or until reaching or certain state. Forexample, the circuitry may display on the user interface arecommendation or a progression of the recipe to indicate that it istime to begin preparing a side dish based on the estimated remainingcooking time. In addition, and as noted above with respect to block 1404of FIG. 14, the circuitry may progress the recipe on the user interfaceor provide a recommendation based on the wirelessly received temperaturedata indicating that a measured temperature has exceeded or reached athreshold temperature, such as a recommendation to wrap a pork shoulderwith foil after reaching a measured temperature of 70° C.

In block 1510 of FIG. 15, the circuitry determines that a temperature T5indicated by wirelessly received temperature data has decreased by atleast a threshold value Y3 from a previously indicated temperature T4.The previously indicated temperature T4 can represent a temperaturemeasured by an ambient thermal sensor of the food thermometer (e.g.,thermal sensor 1040 in FIG. 12), which was wirelessly received from thefood thermometer before the food was removed from the heated cookingvessel.

In block 1512, the circuitry indicates the progression of the recipe onthe user interface to a stage requiring opening or closing of thecooking vessel. In some examples, the new cooking stage could includeinstructions for basting the food or other instructions that wouldrequire accessing the food, such as flipping the food, covering the foodwith foil, or adding an ingredient. In other examples, the new cookingstage may indicate that cooking has continued after performing an actionrequiring the food to be removed from the cooking vessel or accessed viaan opening in the cooking vessel. In such examples, the interface mayindicate in the new stage that a new remaining cooking time is beingestimated or the previously estimated cooking time may continuefollowing the return of the food to the cooking vessel or the detectedclosing of the cooking vessel as determined by an ambient temperaturemeasured by the food thermometer.

Proceeding from block 1512 in FIG. 15A, the circuitry in block 1514 ofFIG. 15B wirelessly receives orientation data from the food thermometer.The orientation data can indicate a flipping or turning of the food, andcan come from an orientation sensor, such as flip sensor 1060 in theexample of FIG. 12 discussed above. In some implementations, the foodthermometer may only send orientation data when there is a change in theorientation or a detected flipping. The circuitry may then determinewhether to progress to a next stage in the recipe based on a currentstage in the recipe or a current condition, such as temperaturesindicated by wirelessly received temperature data.

In block 1516, the circuitry indicates the progression to a new stage inthe recipe using the user interface. From the perspective of the user,the progression of the recipe on the user interface to the new stage isautomatic. For example, an instruction, recommendation, or stage of therecipe may instruct the user to flip the food based on an internaltemperature of the food. When the circuitry determines that an internaltemperature indicated by the wirelessly received temperature data hasreached a threshold temperature for flipping, the circuitry controls theuser interface to display an instruction or stage for flipping the food.The user flips the food, and orientation data is sent from the foodthermometer indicating that the food has been flipped. The circuitry inblock 1516 then automatically progresses the recipe on the userinterface to the next stage, such as to a final cooking stage.

In block 1518, the circuitry determines that a temperature T6 indicatedby wirelessly received temperature data has reached a maximumtemperature or is within the maximum temperature by at least a thresholdvalue Y4. The maximum temperature can be set by the circuitry as part ofthe recipe or the selection of a type of food and/or desired doneness ofthe food. In some implementations, the maximum temperature can include atarget temperature set by the user via the user interface, such as aninternal food temperature of 140° F. for a medium cooked steak. In otherimplementations, the maximum temperature may be determined by thecircuitry by comparing a current temperature to a previous temperatureand identifying a decrease in the temperature over time.

In other embodiments, the maximum temperature may instead correspond toa maximum ambient temperature for the cooking vessel, such as for asmoker where the temperature is to be kept below the maximumtemperature. In such cases, the circuitry can alert or instruct the userto lower the temperature of the cooking vessel via the user interface inresponse to the determination that the ambient temperature of thecooking vessel reached or exceeded the maximum temperature.

Returning to the example of FIG. 15B, the circuitry in block 1520indicates the progression of the recipe on the user interface to aresting stage in response to the determination in block 1518. In someimplementations, reaching the maximum temperature or being within thethreshold value Y4 of the maximum temperature inside the food canindicate that the heat within the food has equalized and will notcontinue to increase during resting. As discussed above, certain foods,such as most meats will experience a resting temperature rise followingthe removal of the food from the cooking vessel.

In block 1522, the circuitry determines that a temperature T7 indicatedby wirelessly received temperature data has decreased by at least athreshold value Y5 from the maximum temperature. As noted above, themaximum temperature can be set by the circuitry as part of the recipe orthe selection of a type of food and/or desired doneness of the food. Insome implementations, the maximum temperature can include a targettemperature set by the user via the user interface. In otherimplementations, the maximum temperature may be determined by thecircuitry by comparing a current temperature to a previous temperatureand identifying a decrease in temperature over time, such as during theresting stage of block 1520 discussed above.

In block 1524, the circuitry indicates progression of the recipe on theuser interface to a searing stage. For example, threshold value Y5 maybe 10° C. and the maximum temperature during the resting stage may havebeen 60° C. This can allow for the food to be seared without overcookingthe food during the searing stage. In response to determining that theinternal temperature of the food has decreased to 50° C. based onwirelessly received temperature data, the circuitry can progress therecipe to the searing stage or instruct the user via the user interfacethat the food is ready for searing.

In some implementations, the circuitry may detect the removal of thefood thermometer from the food based on a determined rate at which atemperature measured by a thermal sensor of the food thermometerchanges. For example, the circuitry may determine that a rate oftemperature change for a thermal sensor used to measure the internalfood temperature is slowly approaching or decreasing toward an ambientair temperature. In this regard, the rate of temperature change when thefirst portion of the food thermometer is inside food is typically fasterthan the rate of temperature change when the first portion of the foodthermometer is exposed to air. The circuitry may therefore determinethat the food thermometer has been removed from the food after restingby a slower decrease in the measured temperature due to the change inthermal conductivity from that of the food to the lower thermalconductivity of the air.

Those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the present disclosurewill appreciate that other embodiments of the recipe progression processof FIGS. 15A and 15B may not include all of the blocks discussed above.For example, some embodiments of a recipe may not include a flippingstage such that blocks 1514 and 1516 are omitted, or some recipes maynot include a searing stage, such that blocks 1522 and 1524 are omitted.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that the variousillustrative logical blocks, modules, and processes described inconnection with the examples disclosed herein may be implemented aselectronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both.Furthermore, the foregoing processes can be embodied on a computerreadable medium which causes a processor or control circuitry to performor execute certain functions.

To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software,various illustrative components, blocks, and modules have been describedabove generally in terms of their functionality. Whether suchfunctionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon theparticular application and design constraints imposed on the overallsystem. Those of ordinary skill in the art may implement the describedfunctionality in varying ways for each particular application, but suchimplementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing adeparture from the scope of the present disclosure.

The various illustrative logical blocks, units, modules, and controllersdescribed in connection with the examples disclosed herein may beimplemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a CPU, a DSP,an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate ortransistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combinationthereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Ageneral-purpose processor may he a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor may be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also beimplemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combinationof a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, an SoC,one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any othersuch configuration.

The activities of a method or process described in connection with theexamples disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in asoftware module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two.The steps of the method or algorithm may also be performed in analternate order from those provided in the examples. A software modulemay reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROMmemory, registers, hard disk, a removable media, an optical media, orany other form of storage medium known. In the art. An exemplary storagemedium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can readinformation from, and write information to, the storage medium. In thealternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. Theprocessor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC or an SoC.

The foregoing description of the disclosed example embodiments isprovided to enable any person of ordinary skill in the art to make oruse the embodiments in the present disclosure. Various modifications tothese examples will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill inthe art, and the principles disclosed herein may be applied to otherexamples without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thedescribed embodiments are to be considered in all respects only asillustrative and not restrictive. In addition, the use of language inthe form of “at least one of A and B” in the following claims should beunderstood to mean “only A, only B, or both A and B.”

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for progressing a recipe for cookingfood, the method comprising: wirelessly receiving temperature data froma food thermometer inserted into the food; estimating a remaining timefor cooking the food based at least in part on the received temperaturedata; and indicating the progression of the recipe on a user interfaceto at least two new stages based on the received temperature data. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein the food thermometer includes a pluralityof thermal sensors configured to measure an internal temperature of thefood at different locations, and the wirelessly received temperaturedata indicates temperatures measured by the plurality of thermalsensors, and wherein the method further comprises: determining that oneor more of the indicated temperatures measured by the plurality ofthermal sensors have exceeded or reached a threshold value; andindicating the progression of the recipe to a new stage on the userinterface in response to the determination that one or more of theindicated temperatures have exceeded or reached the threshold value. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein the food thermometer includes a flipsensor configured to detect flipping of the food when the food isflipped upside down with the food thermometer inserted in the food, andwherein the method further comprises: wirelessly receiving orientationdata from the food thermometer, the orientation data indicating adetected flipping of the food; and indicating the progression of therecipe to a new stage on the user interface in response to the receivedorientation data.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the food thermometerincludes a thermal sensor configured to measure an internal temperatureof the food, and the wirelessly received temperature data indicates atemperature measured by the thermal sensor, and wherein the methodfurther comprises: determining that the indicated temperature measuredby the thermal sensor decreased by at least a threshold value from apreviously indicated temperature wirelessly received from the foodthermometer; and indicating that the food thermometer has been insertedinto the food on the user interface in response to the determinationthat the indicated temperature decreased by at least the threshold valuefrom the previously indicated temperature.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the food thermometer includes a thermal sensor configured tomeasure an internal temperature of the food or an ambient temperatureadjacent the food, and the wirelessly received temperature dataindicates a temperature measured by the thermal sensor, and wherein themethod further comprises: determining that the indicated temperaturemeasured by the thermal sensor increased by at least a threshold valuefrom a previously indicated temperature wirelessly received from thefood thermometer; and indicating the progression of the recipe on theuser interface to a new cooking stage in response to the determinationthat the indicated temperature increased by at least the threshold valuefrom the previously indicated temperature.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the food thermometer includes a thermal sensor configured tomeasure an ambient temperature adjacent the food, and the wirelesslyreceived temperature data indicates a temperature measured by thethermal sensor, and wherein the method further comprises: determiningthat the indicated temperature measured by the thermal sensor increasedor decreased by at least a threshold value from a previously indicatedtemperature wirelessly received from the food thermometer; andindicating the progression of the recipe on the user interface to one ormore stages requiring the opening or closing of a cooking vessel inwhich the food is being cooked in response to determining that theindicated temperature increased or decreased by at least the thresholdvalue from the previously indicated temperature.
 7. The method of claim1, wherein the food thermometer includes a thermal sensor configured tomeasure an internal temperature of the food, and the wirelessly receivedtemperature data indicates a temperature measured by the thermal sensor,and wherein the method further comprises: determining that the indicatedtemperature measured by the thermal sensor reached a maximum temperatureor is within a threshold value of the maximum temperature; andindicating the progression of the recipe on the user interface to aresting stage in response to the determination that the indicatedtemperature reached the maximum temperature or is within the thresholdvalue of the maximum temperature.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein thefood thermometer includes a thermal sensor configured to measure aninternal temperature of the food, and the wirelessly receivedtemperature data indicates a plurality of temperatures measured by thethermal sensor, and wherein the method further comprises: determining arate at which the temperature measured by the thermal sensor changes;and estimating the remaining time based on the determined rate at whichthe temperature measured by the thermal sensor changes.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the method farther comprises determining that the foodthermometer has been removed from the food based on the determined rateat which the temperature measured by the thermal sensor changes.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the food thermometer includes a thermalsensor configured to measure an internal temperature of the food, andthe wirelessly received temperature data indicates a temperaturemeasured by the thermal sensor, and wherein the method furthercomprises: determining that the indicated temperature measured by thethermal sensor decreased by at least a threshold value from a maximumtemperature; and indicating the progression of the recipe on the userinterface to a searing stage in response to the determination that theindicated temperature decreased by at least the threshold value from themaximum temperature.
 11. An electronic device, comprising: a userinterface configured to display information; and circuitry configuredto: wirelessly receive temperature data from a food thermometer insertedinto food; estimate a remaining time for cooking the food based at leastin part on the received temperature data; and indicate progression of arecipe on the user interface to at least two new stages based on thereceived temperature data.
 12. The electronic device of claim 11,wherein the food thermometer includes a plurality of thermal sensorsconfigured to measure an internal temperature of the food at differentlocations, and the wirelessly received temperature data indicatestemperatures measured by the plurality a thermal sensors, and whereinthe circuitry is further configured to: determine that one or more ofthe indicated temperatures measured by the plurality of thermal sensorshave exceeded or reached a threshold value; and indicate the progressionof the recipe to a new stage on the user interface in response to thedetermination that one or more of the indicated temperatures haveexceeded or reached the threshold value.
 13. The electronic device ofclaim 11, wherein the food thermometer includes a flip sensor configuredto detect flipping of the food when the food is flipped upside down withthe food thermometer inserted in the food, and wherein the circuitry isfurther configured to: wirelessly receive orientation data from the foodthermometer, the orientation data indicating a detected flipping of thefood; and indicate the progression of the recipe to a new stage on theuser interface in response to the received orientation data.
 14. Theelectronic device of claim 11, wherein the food thermometer includes athermal sensor configured to measure an internal temperature of thefood, and the wirelessly received temperature data indicates atemperature measured by the thermal sensor, and wherein the circuitry isfurther configured to: determine that the indicated temperature measuredby the thermal sensor decreased by at least a threshold value from apreviously indicated temperature wirelessly received from the foodthermometer; and indicate that the food thermometer has been insertedinto the food on the user interface in response to the determinationthat the indicated temperature decreased by at least the threshold valuefrom the previously indicated temperature.
 15. The electronic device ofclaim 11, wherein the food thermometer includes a thermal sensorconfigured to measure an internal temperature of the food or an ambienttemperature adjacent the food, and the wirelessly received temperaturedata indicates a temperature measured by the thermal sensor, and whereinthe circuitry is further configured to: determine that the indicatedtemperature measured by the thermal sensor increased by at least athreshold value from a previously indicated temperature wirelesslyreceived from the food thermometer; and indicate the progression of therecipe on the user interface to a new cooking stage in response to thedetermination that the indicated temperature increased by at least thethreshold value from the previously indicated temperature.
 16. Theelectronic device of claim 11, wherein the food thermometer includes athermal sensor configured to measure an ambient temperature adjacent thefood, and the wirelessly received temperature data indicates atemperature measured by the thermal sensor, and wherein the circuitry isfurther configured to: determine that the indicated temperature measuredby the thermal sensor increased or decreased by at least a thresholdvalue from a previously indicated temperature wirelessly received fromthe food thermometer; and indicate the progression of the recipe on theuser interface to one or more stages requiring the opening or closing ofa cooking vessel in which the food is being cooked in response todetermining that the indicated temperature increased or decreased by atleast the threshold value from the previously indicated temperature. 17.The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the food thermometer includesa thermal sensor configured to measure an internal temperature of thefood, and the wirelessly received temperature data indicates atemperature measured by the thermal sensor, and wherein the circuitry isfurther configured to: determine that the indicated temperature measuredby the thermal sensor reached a maximum temperature or is within athreshold value of the maximum temperature; and indicate the progressionof the recipe on the user interface to a resting stage in response tothe determination that the indicated temperature reached the maximumtemperature or is within the threshold value of the maximum temperature.18. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the food thermometerincludes a thermal sensor configured to measure an internal temperatureof the food, and the wirelessly received temperature data indicates aplurality of temperatures measured by the thermal sensor, and whereinthe circuitry is further configured to: determine a rate at which thetemperature measured by the thermal sensor changes; and estimate theremaining time based on the determined rate at which the temperaturemeasured by the thermal sensor changes.
 19. The electronic device ofclaim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine thatthe food thermometer has been removed from the food based on thedetermined rate at which the temperature measured by the thermal sensorchanges.
 20. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the foodthermometer includes a thermal sensor configured to measure an internaltemperature of the food, and the wirelessly received temperature dataindicates a temperature measured by the thermal sensor, and wherein thecircuitry is further configured to: determine that the indicatedtemperature measured by the thermal sensor decreased by at least athreshold value from a maximum temperature; and indicate the progressionof the recipe on the user interface to a searing stage in response tothe determination that the indicated temperature decreased by at leastthe threshold value from the maximum temperature.
 21. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions,wherein when the computer-executable instructions are executed bycircuitry of an electronic device, the computer-executable instructionscause the circuitry to: wirelessly receive temperature data from a foodthermometer inserted into food; estimate a remaining time for cookingthe food based at least in part on the received temperature data; andindicate progression of a recipe on a user interface of the electronicdevice to at least two new stages based on the received temperaturedata.